A Predator's Spirit
by Amaunet85
Summary: Sequel to A Predators Heart. Find out what's happened to El'is, and what's going to happen as the human race starts to meddle with her life again. Rated T for future violence. R/R Please.
1. Intro

((A/N: I felt rather empty after I finished APH. But luckily, after talking to a friend about it, I got inspiration immediately for this one. Once again, Peya Luna has managed to hit the nail almost in its centre, even though I won't reveal that plot in this intro yet XD Are you telepathically gifted or something? XD

Either way, bare with me. For the plot to work, I've had to bend the laws of physics a little. I hope you find the way I've done that plausible enough :) ))

_Intro._

El'is carefully climbed down the ladder. Once on the ground, she pressed a button, the ladder folding itself, much like Yautja spears did. She looked up. The ceiling was littered with skulls and other bones. It was nearly too full. She grinned proudly. And to think, this was her second trophy room already. It wouldn't be long until she caught up with F'gath at this rate.

Today was her birthday. And she had celebrated it by going on a hunt, naturally. She tried not to think of how old she had become. Though she had long since grown accustomed to the Yautja way of life, sometimes the human standards caught up with her. She looked at her hands. They were still as smooth-skinned as ever.

After the council had finally accepted her, they had let her in on one of the greatest secrets the race held. Yautja did not die. They could be killed, but they did not die. Not of old age anyway. She had been stunned to find out that those she had thought of as the Yautja elders, were over a hundred thousand years old. They had retired, but they could live on forever if they wanted to, unless something felled them before that.

This was actually the part where her genes had come in handy. Due to her being fully accepted, scientists had worked around the clock and found a way to activate that same gene in El'is. She hadn't believed it at first, until years started to pass rapidly with hunts and other matters and her thirty-years old body didn't age one bit.

It was still a mind-boggling fact and often she couldn't wrap her mind around it. That's why she usually just tried not to think about it. She was grateful for the eternal youth she had received though. She never would have been able to enjoy several things that were most precious to her otherwise.

Her grin softened into a smile as she remembered. She was officially mated now. From what she understood, Vi'can had done it far more quick than usual. Most Yautja waited until their significant other was at least a thousand years old, but she hadn't even reached a hundred yet when he asked her to. Of course she had said yes. His family still disapproved of their relationship now, despite her status in society. So he had moved in with her instead of the other way around.

F'gath had accepted it all, and had given them a wing of his house as their quarters. The mating rituals of Yautja were quite unique. They had to duel each other in a very specific way that didn't lead to a winner, before sharing each others blood. That had been a thing on its own. Before the ritual could even start, they had to test whether or not Yautja blood was poisonous to her or not. Needless to say, it hadn't been.

As a sign of their vows to each other, they had sacrificed an easily recognised part of their greatest kill. Because of that, the hybrid skull now missed a tusk at one of its mandibles. She had drilled a hole into it and had formed it into a necklace, which her mate wore every day. She had been very touched to learn that Vi'can had sacrificed most of the skull of his first kill to make the gift he had made her. Around her neck sat a choker necklace. It fitted her neck perfectly, ending in a small v-point at the base of her neck. The xenomorphic skin felt smooth to the touch, and she was grateful that it wasn't cold. The only times she took it off were the same times he didn't wear the tusk: when they had retired to bed.

She subconsciously stroked her necklace. It had been quite a while since that day already. And they were still together. On Earth, one out of three couples divorced, but not here. Yautja were truly dedicated to their mates. Vi'can wasn't shy to show her how he felt about her either, though it didn't go passed holding hands in public. Sure, they quarrelled and sometimes had fights -real ones too- but that was natural. She didn't think they would have managed this long if they always agreed with each other.

Something tucked at the sleeve of her pants, bringing her out of her thoughts. As she looked down, she saw one of M'rids pups. He hardly came passed her knee in height yet, truly a babe still. She had been quite surprised when she learned M'rid was going to be a father. She hadn't been able to picture the light-hearted and humorous Yautja as a responsible father, but he had been doing an awesome job for his pups. All thirty-two of them. The little guy spread his arms up and out, his way of signalling he wanted to be picked up.

El'is obliged, lifting him into her arms and nuzzling him tenderly. She was rewarded by a giggle. Some of M'rids children were already adults, but she doubted he and his mate would stop trying to get more any time soon. He had picked a good mate, a strong woman in both spirit and body. She reigned him in if she thought he was being too irresponsible, but she allowed him to be himself. She could laugh at his jokes. In El'is' eyes, that was the most important part.

The small pup she was holding now was named T'ren, after M'rids father. No Yautja was ever named directly after someone, but they often switched the letters about to give the pup a new name, while still being able to honour the one it was named after. Is'el and Le'is had both been named after El'is, like Ic'van was named after Vi'can. El'is and her mate were the godparents of those three and the little one she was holding now. The majority of M'rids children was male, but from what she knew, that had always been the case in his family.

N'ter loved it all. He spend as much time with his grandchildren as he could. He told everyone that he had resigned from the council so F'gath could enter it, but El'is knew quite sure that he just wanted to be a part of his family's life more. She smiled at the pup in her arms before exiting the room to join the others.

She and Vi'can didn't have any offspring. Yet. A while ago, she had requested the medical department of the planet to see if they could find a way to let her bear full Yautja children. She didn't want a mix of human and Yautja. Not only would they be seen as abominations, she doubted they would really be happy with themselves either. F'gath kept quiet about it, but El'is reckoned he wouldn't mind being a grandfather either. He didn't hunt as often as he used to anymore. When she asked about it, he would say that he had seen enough in his life.

"I think you lost one," she told N'ter as she entered the playroom, T'ren still on her arm. The child squealed upon seeing his grandfather and she put him down, watching as the chubby little legs moved towards the elderly Yautja. Though M'rids family didn't live in the house, they had designed this room for the kids, because they visited one another often enough.

"There you are!" N'ter exclaimed as if surprised, picking the child up and throwing him into the air before catching him again before smiling at El'is. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble..?"

"Never," El'is said with a grin. "I think he just wanted to see my trophies. He has his fathers genes."

N'ter seemed even more proud at that. He was very proud of M'rid and all that M'rid had accomplished. He then turned more serious though.

"Aren't they looking for you yet? It's your party after all," he said, then motioned at the brats of all shapes and sizes walking around. "I don't mind babysitting, so go right ahead. Just ask them to bring something up for dinner for me as well, rather than for just the kids."

"Of course," El'is said with a smile. "I'll see you later then, grandpa."

She headed out the room and went to the stairs, always preferring them over the elevators the house had. Over the years, the translator-glasses had made way for contacts as technology advanced. More language had been added into it, causing it to become a sort of universal translator. It was build into all helmets now. The contacts gave her eyes a slightly green gleam, but it was far better than having to wear glasses all the time.

She halted at the top of the stairs, looking down. The hall in which the stairs stood had been transformed into a dining-hall. Her network of friends had grown exponentially, especially once she started teaching youngsters how to Thai-box. She had been quite proud when she was asked to do that by the council. Now it was part of the basic training they got. They couldn't perform some moves she could, because their bodies were bulkier and more compact in general, but most techniques were quite possible for them.

"I was looking for you," she heard a familiar voice behind her. She smiled and turned around, feeling an arm slide around her waist as she looked into her mate's face. Vi'can hadn't changed at all either over the years, though a few scars lined his face now. "You have to stay at your own party, skull or not."

He raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

"After all, it's not every day a human turns six-hundred-and-seventy-three," he said with a smile, leaning forwards and letting his head rest against her forehead for a moment.

"Actually, I don't think any human even reaches close to that age," El'is said with a laugh. She quickly kissed his cheek before breaking away, taking his hand instead. He was wearing his official armour. It looked very much like the one F'gath had been wearing when she first arrived on this planet. He had climbed in rank rapidly, as had she. She was wearing the female equivalent of it. The biggest difference was that hers carried F'gaths family-crest, whereas Vi'can wore his own. Since their mating, he had officially stepped away from his family.

In order to still allow his children a family-crest and an honourable name, he had requested -and got- his own. A small version of it was etched into El'is' shoulder-armour, just like F'gaths was on Vi'cans. There was no question who they belonged with. He squeezed her hand gently before leading her down the stairs, towards their guests and friends.

"R'van wants a word with you," he told her as they descended. He looked at her questioningly. R'van was the leader of all scientists the Yautja race new. He was also one of her dearest friends, and the one she had made the request to. Though Vi'can knew it could just be a talk, it wasn't often he had seen the scientist so enthusiastic and excited. R'van was usually a rather stiff man.

"It's a surprise, I hope," El'is said with a beaming smile. If this meant what she thought it did, it would be a perfect birthday.


	2. Chapter 1

(( A/N: oh my! Aspergian Mind! You made me go o.0 I couldn't have gone with the friend plot, even if only because of the fact that said friend would have been mentioned earlier then. It wouldn't fit. As for the rest of your ideas, the plot for this sequel already holds several of those, or similar ideas at least. I wouldn't have mentioned the humans starting to meddle with El'is life again otherwise. I believe we've found another telepath XD

Also: it's fun to notice that APS has 10 reviews, and APH has 110 XD ))

_Chapter One_.

Vi'can observed as his mate taught the youngsters how to make a proper spin-kick. They were more than capable of it already, but El'is required perfection. He admired her for that. She had such a strong spirit. Sure, she had moments when she longed for Earth and when she wasn't happy with her life being extended as it was, but she never gave up. And she was his. All his.

He smiled. He loved her incredibly much. Ever since they had very carefully started _dating_ as she called it, his feelings for her had only grown. He had been delighted when F'gath had told him he could ask her as a mate when he wanted the warriors approval. Even more so when F'gath had offered his own house as a home for them, as he knew Vi'cans situation when it came to family.

He sometimes missed them, and he cursed their short-sightedness. He had no regrets however. That question had resulted in the best changes possible. He doubted they wouldn't accept her now if he asked them, because of her rank and her general status in society, but he wasn't interested anymore. He didn't need them. El'is, F'gath and M'rids horde had proven themselves a worthy family. He watched as she ended the class for today before going to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her from behind after checking if the students had gone already.

She turned around in his arms and smiled that dazzling smile of hers at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I didn't expect to see you until later," she commented, but her eyes betrayed that she didn't mind it at all. After almost six-hundred-and-fifty years, he figured they were doing pretty good, since they were still together. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

"F'gath and the council have asked for you," he said. "They didn't want to share what was going on, but they seemed dreadfully serious."

He moved his hands down, grabbing her butt and heaving her up against him. She giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist as he started walking. He loved to hear her laugh. It was a bright and clear sound. He barely watched where he was going, drawn towards her eyes as always when he was close to her.

"You're quite extraordinary, my dearest," she complimented, leaning in and kissing one of his tusks softly. He let out a soft growl, the Yautja equivalent of a purr. "Did you enjoy the classes?"

"As far as I've seen it, yes. They're making quick progress," he said, then slowly let her down as they neared the door leading outside. "You'd best not keep them waiting long."

"Aren't you coming with me?" El'is asked, tilting her head as she regained her footing. She slid his arms from around his neck, letting them rest on his armoured chest a moment.

"I wasn't invited," he said with a shrug, stepping around her and opening the door for her.

"But they didn't tell you not to come either," El'is said, grinning as she stepped out. She took his hand, pulling him outside with her. He sighed, but didn't resist, letting her take him along. She smiled at him, getting into the vehicle that was waiting for them. Completely automated, she gave in the destination and it sped off. She rubbed her thumb on his hand lightly.

"I've got a present for you when we get home," she shared with him. He looked at her and quirked an eyebrow. "No, I'm not going to tell just yet."

He chuckled lightly.

"Then I hope for both our sakes I won't get too curious too quickly," he said. His curiosity was one of the things that had drawn her to him, he knew. He didn't shy away from learning alien ways and doing alien things. Especially not with her. Though he had to admit, he was still very curious about what R'van had told her. She had been completely ecstatic afterwards, but she still hadn't shared with him why. All he knew was that they had made an appointment which was yesterday. And that she had promised to tell him tonight. He figured it was part of the present somehow.

It didn't take them long to reach the biggest building the planet held. The school in which El'is taught was nearby it, as was F'gaths home. It showed what a tremendous amount of honour his, -their-, family had gained. They got out of the smooth vehicle. It waited a few seconds before speeding off as the couple started up the stairs.

Fittingly, the building was shaped like a gigantic pyramid. Huge statues stood in front and around it, seemingly guarding the pyramid. The pyramid itself was void of any decorations though. The sides were smooth except for the stairs, the sunlight often reflecting on the polished stone. El'is always felt a sense of awe when she came here. Two stones retreated into the pyramid before sliding to the sides, forming the entrance.

Inside was the nerve-centre of the entire race. The council held its seat here, and all news from other worlds came in here, along with communications with teams that were deployed all over the universe. El'is and Vi'can walked right towards this pyramids version of what was called the Queen's Room on Earth. Being in the centre of the pyramid, it had been called the Heart here. It was the main room for the council, with connections and screens showing most incoming information.

She was surprised to see the doors closed with an energy-barrier. They must be talking about classified stuff if they did that. It kind of worried her. Though the matters the council discussed were always important, it didn't happen often that they did this. Everyone that was allowed to enter this building was sworn to secrecy and had vowed on their oath not to tell anyone that wasn't meant to know.

She placed her hand on a small scanning platform in the wall, Vi'can doing the same moments later. Because of the identification method, the occupants of the room would be able to see who they were and see if they wanted to allow them in or not. The barrier disappeared before them and the doors opened, allowing them in.

The first thing El'is noticed upon entering were the sullen faces she saw, and how some were trying to avoid meeting her eyes. She frowned. Over the years, they had accepted her for who she was and valued her opinion on most matters. They called it refreshing. Behind Vi'can and her, the door closed again and she could hear the barrier being activated again. She looked at F'gath, silently asking for an explanation.

When he pointed towards the main screen of the room, she directed her eyes to that. She blinked as she recognised her home-planet. She knew a few hunters had been send there for training. Over the centuries that had passed, the humans had developed themselves as worthy opponents. They were crafty and their weapons had greatly advanced. They had started space-travel as well, though they mostly stuck to their own solar-system still.

Each team that wanted to go there these days, had to get clearance from the council itself. With humans, discovery was not an option. If any of their technology was copied or otherwise used, they would have themselves a very dangerous race on their hands. El'is had proven to them how insightful humans could be at times. They never did quite what was expected of them.

"What about it?" she asked, looking at F'gath again. They wouldn't have gone through all these security measures without this being big news. She felt worried. She felt Vi'can put his hand on her lower back momentarily, as if to assure her he was still there. He usually did that when her heart rate rose. It more than often betrayed her uneasiness.

"We've got a bit of a situation," F'gath said slowly, pressing a few buttons. The screen shifted, showing the path of the ship that had gone there. "A few hours ago, we learned that the team send there has been stranded."

The screen shifted to show the last footage received from the ship. It was hovering in orbit around Earth. A small white dot made its way towards it, getting bigger and bigger until it was clearly visible. It was a standard Earth-shuttle. Though much more advanced than it had been in the time El'is still lived there, the basic shape was the same. She reckoned it was heading towards the space station from where the ships to Mars took off.

The shuttle neared the ship at crashing rate. For a moment, El'is wondered why it didn't try to avoid the ship, but then she realised that of course, the ship was closed and thus invisible to the shuttle. She gasped softly as the ship and the shuttle collided. The last image showed flames, before the camera showed only static. El'is slowly turned to F'gath, hoping to get information on any survivors.

"At the time, the team was completely deployed on the planet," F'gath shared. "But now they're stranded. And with Earth being as it is, it will only be a matter of time before they're spotted. We've risked sending them a message to hide rather than hunt, but we don't know if it's gone through."

"We need to send someone there," another council-member spoke up. B'lal was nearly twice F'gath's age, as far as El'is knew. He was a calm Yautja, who never did anything without thinking it through, but he was always impatient when he already knew what had to be done. "We can understand what humans say nowadays, because of you. But sending a regular Yautja there might most likely just put him in the same position as the team. As a human, you have more chance at blending in and finding out where they are exactly."

El'is nodded slowly. All Yautja carried a transmitter that allowed them to be found. But such things were forbidden on Earth. Should humans pinpoint the frequency, the hunters might well become the hunted. So the tracking had to be done the original way: by listening, watching and smelling. 

"I will go with her," Vi'can said, taking a step forwards. He wasn't about to let her go alone, especially not to such a dangerous place. He knew she was more than capable of looking after herself, but this was Earth, and humans were irrational.

"No," El'is said softly, turning her head to look at him. "I need to go alone. The more that come with me, the bigger the chance of discovery. We can work a camera into my glasses, or earrings, or something of the like, so you can watch with me if you want, but I'm not going to put myself or others more at risk just because I might be lonely."

She saw a hurt look flash over his face. She knew he knew this was the right way, but he wasn't happy with it. Despite the public place, she gently took his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"I'll send a daily report," she promised.

"Then it's settled," F'gath said. "You'll leave tonight. Prepare your gear. You can take anything you want, if you think it'll be useful there."

The surprise she had for him would have to wait. She knew he would be ecstatic at the news, normally, but with this in their very near future, he'd only worry more. She was glad they couldn't notice just yet. This way, she could work in peace and only she would worry about what could happen to her surprise. Yautja scanners were very accurate, but even they could not yet see the life growing in her belly.


	3. Chapter 2

(( A/N: By all means, don't apologise for being telepathic. It's a wonderful gift, and can often be amusing too.

Glad to have you back, DasGrauen ;) No internet is... evil... and cruel XD I couldn't live without it ))

_Chapter Two_.

Vi'can paced back and forth. Though she was the one going on this mission, El'is was quite certain he was more nervous than she was. It was kind of cute, but he was starting to annoy her with it now. His nervousness made her uneasy.

"Would you relax?" she ended up snapping. He blinked and regarded her. He didn't show it directly, but he was still hurt over the fact she didn't want him along. She knew him long enough to know. She sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. But I'm not going to risk you just because I want to be close to you. I can handle this mission, but not if I have to worry about you also."

That seemed to hit home at least. He stopped paced, instead walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He lightly nuzzled her hair.

"I know... I know.. but I hate it. I can't keep you safe if I'm not there," he said softly. El'is couldn't help but smile. She lightly put her arms around his waist and leaned back in his arms.

"I'll be fine," she assured. "I promise."

He smiled at that. She had never broken a promise to him before, and having said that, he knew she would do her very best to keep it. He nodded slowly, retracting a hand and stroking her cheek with it tenderly.

"You'd better be," he said.

El'is was actually rather grateful they had sprung this on her today rather than tomorrow. She knew that as a human, she had the only decent chance of success on this mission. Vi'can was already having a hard time letting her go now. She didn't even want to think of his reaction to this mission if he knew she was pregnant. F'gath would probably have the same set of mind as Vi'can than too.

She felt bad for practically lying to them, but she was sure that this was the best way to go about it for now. She had to get to those hunters and bring them home. F'gath had given her a special transmitter to use once she had found them. Once they were together, she could transmit a location for a pickup also. They reckoned it was best if she decided that. 

She had spend the last several hours learning the current topography of the planet. It wasn't that hard. The planet had one government now, led by a dictator. It made the unwatched places on the planet easy targets, but the city areas all the more dangerous. One policeforce and one army, with high tech weaponry. Some teams even had nightgoggles and heatvisors. It made them worthy prey, but it also made them dangerous.

Vi'can slowly let her go, so she could go back to packing. He'd much rather tighten his grip on her and refuse to let her go. He couldn't though, for several reasons. It wouldn't be honourfull, she would get mad at him, but, most importantly, he couldn't do that to M'rid. Though F'gath and the council had been hesitant to give out names, it turned out that one of M'rids offspring, J'ven, was one of the hunters stuck on the human planet. And like El'is had just promised Vi'can she'd be fine, she had also promised that she would bring M'rids son home.

--

El'is sat down in the cockpit of the one-man ship. She strapped herself in tightly. Saying goodbye had not been easy. She had gone on solo-missions before, but never so far away, nor so dangerous. Those had just been for fun. She sighed, then slowly made the ship lift into the air. They had agreed on as much radio-silence as possible. They didn't want to put her in more danger than was necessary.

After she had gone, they would inform the population of what was going on. M'rid didn't even know yet. She had asked Vi'can to tell him of her promise. She fingered the choker-necklace lightly. She was rather happy they hadn't told everyone sooner. No doubt R'van would've stopped her from going then. She also knew that both Vi'can and F'gath would be rather furious once they were told. Yes, the radio-silence was definitely a good thing.

She flew off through the atmosphere, slowly nearing the cold black space. Her course was already set. She leaned back and closed her eyes a moment. Subconsciously, she put a hand on her stomach. This mission had better be short. Putting herself in danger at the start of a pregnancy was one thing, but once her belly grew... It would already take over a week before she arrived at Earth. Time could pass really quickly when spacetravelling.

--

Very carefully, El'is exited her ship. She had landed it in the middle of a forest, miles away from any sign of civilisation, but nearby the last known location of one of the Yautja that had gone here. She deactivated the special visors of her helmet and looked around. It was strange. From what she saw now, Earth hadn't changed a bit. She reckoned she had probably landed in a nature reserve. All the better.

She spend a good half hour covering her ship and making sure it would appear a natural rock-formation to anyone watching it. Yautja ships were still invisible to humans, and the strange alloy they were made of kept them off the metal scanners humans had. She looked around and temporarily activated her personal scanner, activating the nearest Yautja's beacon for a second. They wouldn't show themselves to her, but this way she could find them more easily.

At least, if they hung around the same area a little while. She couldn't use this technique often, otherwise the humans might detect the signal. She started walking, camouflaging herself. She had a small backpack on her back, with human clothes in it and extra lenses and glasses for the communication home. She hadn't called them yet. She was rather afraid of the yelling she knew she was going to receive. She wasn't looking forward to that much, if at all.

It was nearing the evening, judging by the fading light. The horizon slowly started turning purple, showing the dreadful state the Earth's atmosphere was in. Her helmet showed that her filters were working full time to make the air clean enough for her to breathe. No wonder she hadn't spotted any wild-life yet. It wasn't long until she switched her vision to heat. 

She was one of few that used all visors often. She didn't want to get stuck with one way of seeing things for too long. It was one of her advantages in duels and in challenges. Once she learned which visor her opponent was using, she would use it against him. It had earned her several prices and awards. It didn't take long before she started getting the feeling she was being watched. She froze, looking around and switching through her visors. Up above her in the trees, she spotted a kneeling shape. She deactivated her camouflage and stood still, looking at him.

A few moments passed, then he deactivated his as well and jumped down from the tree. The markings on his helmet proved him to be G'rel. He looked at her a moment and tilted his head, starting to look her up and down.

"I nearly didn't recognise you," he admitted. "Since when are you pregnant?"

El'is blinked at the sudden question. How could he already know? Yautja foetuses were only visible seven weeks into a pregnancy and human ones not much sooner.

"A week ago," she said slowly, frowning behind her helmet before looking down at her belly. She nearly did a double-take. He was right. It was starting to get visible already.

"That's impossible," G'rel said, speaking her mind. He squatted, bringing himself to eyeheight with her stomach. He observed it a few moments. "Implants?" He looked up. When she nodded, he continued. "I think they went a little overboard. You're carrying twins."

"W-what?" El'is brought out slowly, feeling her world starting to spin around her. Her condition must've been obvious, for the next instant, G'rel had lifted her. He was one of F'gaths friends, one El'is was fairly certain F'gath would trust with his life without thought. He slowly put her down on the forestfloor, but kept an arm around her shoulders.

"The carrying-time of xenomorphs is only hours..." he said slowly. She looked at him, seeing her helmet reflected in his. She had got used to living with her aliengenes, but so far they had only given her strengths. She had not expecting this to happen. She swallowed hard. What if she laid an egg instead of a baby? Babies. There were two.

She squared her shoulders, composing herself. She could not let this jeopardise the mission. She had to bring them all home. Then she could worry about the life growing in her stomach.  
"At this rate, I'll give birth in a few weeks," she brought out, trying not to sound too scared or shocked.

G'rel nodded, helping her to her feet.

"Then we'd better get the others fast, and get home even faster," he said. He knew better than trying to make her sit still. For one, she had the technology they needed, and second, she was too stubborn to listen anyway. He smiled behind his helmet as she nodded, before turning more serious.

"We lost each other when the humans showed up at the crash-site," he said. "We blew one of our bombs to destroy anything of value the humans might've been able to find. We lost resources that way, but at least they won't hold any Yautja technology in their hands."

"Good thinking," El'is said. "I'm sure the council will approve of that."

She send a signal again, getting a reaction immediately.

"The next is twenty miles from here," she said. "Let's hope he's sitting still."

As she started walking, her thoughts returned to the life in her stomach. She had prepared herself for about nine months of morning sickness and a belly that would keep getting bigger. She had figured that by the time she got back to the Yautja homeworld, she might have a small belly to show. But at this rate, she would have a big stomach when they got back, especially since she was apparently carrying twins, even if they managed to round up this mission in a few days.

Then again, luckily it seemed that they wouldn't have to travel all that far to bring them all together. So she might still be on time. She let out a soft sigh. This was one thing she really hadn't prepared for. What if she had to give birth here? Without even talking to F'gath or Vi'can first? She already felt guilty about not telling them before leaving, but if that happened… No. She shook the thought off. She'd make it back in time. She would bear her children with Vi'can and F'gath next to her. She had to.


	4. Chapter 3

(( A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update

(( A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I was hit by a bit of a writers-block for APS. I'll do my best to update more frequently again.

Also: welcome back Peya Luna .

Aspergian: if you have msn, we can :p

And on another note; it's such a pleasure to receive reviews from you guys (and girls of course) . They're full of curiosity and such. It makes a writer want to write XD ))

_Chapter Three._

El'is perched on rock she was sitting on. She looked at the compound below and in front of her. Somewhere in there was their friend. She absently put a hand on her ever-growing belly. It was starting to get hard for her to move around with it, at the speed it was growing. And that wasn't even mentioning the morning-sickness, or the cramps she got in her back.

F'gath had not exactly been pleased, last time she talked to him. That was nearly a week ago now. He hadn't preached at her, but she had seen it in his eyes. He was angry at her for not telling, but he was more than a little worried about her welfare. She felt guilty about that. But how was she supposed to know her pregnancy would get so unusual? He had liked the idea of twins though. Yautja never had twins, so that in itself was very unique.

Vi'can however had had more difficulty with it all. She had seen him pale on the spot before starting to yell at her, almost too fast for her translator to keep up with. She knew he would be upset with her, but she had never seen him that angry. At the end of his tirade, he had simply turned and walked away, not allowing her to say another word. She had closed the line afterwards, despite F'gath still being in that room. Her helmet had hidden them, but she had cried.

She hadn't spoken with him since. It was too dangerous to contact their homeworld often. That was the excuse she used anyway. She was just afraid that he would yell at her again, or tell her he wanted a divorce or something of the kind. But she didn't want to admit that she was afraid. She loved him more than anything. If not for the fact that she wanted his children and knew that he wanted to have them too, she might have aborted them.

It had been two weeks since she had arrived on Earth. After G'rel, they had also found J'ven, M'rids son. She had known him as a pup, but when learning of her pregnant state, he hovered over her like a father. An inexperienced father at that. J'ven was one of M'rids older children, but he had no experience with families or mating or pregnancies. He tried though, she had to give him credit for that. It was him that had told her that the third of the hunting party, B'pog, had been captured by the humans.

That had been the reason she had had to contact the homeworld. Though F'gath and Vi'can wanted her to come home immediately, the council had ordered them to retrieve the other Yautja first, or terminate him, destroying all data the humans had in the process. Vi'can had yelled at them, but F'gath had, be it grudgingly, agreed with them. He knew that he couldn't let his personal feelings for the ones at risk get in the way of what was best for the entire race.

El'is looked at her belly, before feeling J'vens hand on her shoulder. She silently moved back behind the rock. She looked at her two companions. At least they were at full strength. J'ven had even been trained the way she liked to see. G'rel was a bit more conventional, but he would listen if she asked him to. She outranked them both, so that wouldn't be a problem.

"All the doors and windows will be guarded," she said in a whisper. "Until we learn where B'pog is being held, we can't enter by force. Searching for him might take too long, and they will certainly increase security before we even get close. If they use heatvisors or nightgoggles, we'd be doomed."

Her companions nodded, knowing she was right. They thought a moment.

"Entering via the roof would make too much noise, but-," J'ven said, but stopped when he noticed El'is jumping to attention.

"The vents!" she exclaimed in a soft voice. "I can sneak in through the vents. I'm still small enough, despite my belly. As long as I'm cloaked, they won't register me."

G'rel frowned, while J'ven shook his head.

"That's too dangerous," he said. M'rid would kill him if he let anything happen to El'is, he knew that much. Then again, he might well just kill himself if he did that. El'is had been his mentor for years, he held her in the highest regard. "If they discover you, both your life and the cubs' lives are at stake."

"All other options are even more dangerous," G'rel reminded him softly. He knew the risks, but going through the front door wasn't an option, and like El'is said, if they entered by force, it would all be in vain anyway. He looked at the Earthen woman. "You have to be careful. I know Vi'can is mad at you, but he would die if you failed to come home."

El'is remained silent for a moment, biting her lower lip. Part of her wanted to never return, fearing his reaction, but the rest of her wanted to run home this minute and bury herself in her husbands arms. She nodded slowly, knowing they were awaiting her reaction.

"I'll get inside. When I've found B'pog, I'll activate my signal. Then you can come get us," she said. She rose to her feet. "Stay out of sight and stay camouflaged. The less notice they take before we've got B'pog, the better."

Both Yautja nodded. She turned and walked around the stone, heading towards the place that held their friend. She walked slowly, not wanting to be noticed. Once she reached the buildings, she used a rainpipe to quickly get onto the roof. Halfway up she had to halt as one of the guards looked around and in her direction. She felt her heart beat in her throat. She had no trouble killing any creature, but fellow humans? She didn't know if she could do that.

She heaved herself onto the roof and went through her visors. Humans really were too confident. They hadn't installed any security measures on the roof. Apparently, they though no one could get close enough for that to be needed. She shook her head slightly then headed for her goal: a big pipe leading into the building with a curve. Pulling the roster off was no problem at all. Still holding that, she climbed in. She pressed her feet against the sides of the pipe as she put the roster back. A thing like that missing would certainly be noticed otherwise.

She descended slowly, trying to keep her breathing calm and even. She didn't want to stress herself too much. This pregnancy was hard enough without any more complications. As she reached the first intersection, she lightly marked a side with her wristblades, going into that direction. She crawled further, passing roster after roster, but no sign of B'pog. They had probably taken him to a lower level. She would have to find the main shaft to descend further.

Luckily, finding that wasn't much of a problem. All vents led towards it in the end. She descended further and further, until the temperature around her suit told her she must be far below the ground. Arriving at the lowest level, she started looking around there. Chances were best to find the Yautja on this level, as far away from any threat as possible. She grinned. She had to admit her race was quite predictable that way.

A roar snapped her out of her thoughts. It held no meaning, but she could hear the pain that resounded in the noise. She quickly crawled that way. Security was a lot better in here. There were guards at every corner, holding automatic rifles. From what she had heard from other huntingparties, the ammunition was a lot more dangerous these days. The alloy they used was harder and the guns could fire more bullets per second. She hoped they didn't know what Yautja suits were capable of. If they did, they would have to destroy everything on the base. She didn't know if they had enough bombs to do that.

She turned left at the next intersection, crawling towards a room. She could hear B'pog's moans and groans of pain from inside. As she reached the roster in the room, she looked down. People in white coats were hovering around the tied down Yautja. They had not yet removed his armour. That much was good at least. B'pog roared and pulled at his bonds. Judging by the scraps of metal lying all around the place, he had done that before and succeeded. This time however, the bonds held.

El'is frowned. That might be why he was still alive. They hadn't been able to hold him down long enough to remove his armour and experiment on them. She moved her fingers through the roster and silently lifted it into the shaft, placing it down just as silently. She activated her signal, knowing that J'vens and G'rels entrance would cause enough of a distraction for her to get the captured Yautja.

She slid her legs through the hole the roster had left and jumped down. Her belly shook painfully as she landed and she had to suck in a breath. She quickly activated her shouldergun. The humans were still turning around when she fired. The first was blown against the far wall, a gaping hole in his chest. She had to admit she was shocked at the amount of damage the shouldergun could do. She quickly made her way over to the captured Yautja, using her auto-locking sequence to take care of the remaining humans in the room.

"Are you alright?" she asked B'pog softly as she used her wristblades to cut open his bonds. The movement of his head showed his surprise.

"El'is?" he asked. She gave him a nod before pulling him to his feet. She checked him briefly for injuries. At that moment, alarms resounded throughout the compound and she could hear sounds of weaponfire above them, echoing down through the vents. No doubt J'ven and G'rel were making their way towards them.

"Do you still have your bomb?" she asked B'pog. He nodded. She held out her hand and waited for him to give it to her. She adjusted the timer slightly, to give them a bit longer. "Activate your gun. We won't have long."

She placed the bomb where B'pog had been tied down before heading for the door. Instead of opening it, they blasted it into the hallway before running out. She didn't want to kill any human, but she knew she had to in this case. Too much was at stake. She heard B'pog's heavy footsteps following her, along with his gun firing. At first she wanted to go back through the vents, but then she saw the elevator door. She beckoned B'pog to follow her and blasted the door of the shaft. She jumped into it and started climbing. B'pog being stronger than her, he easily kept up with her, despite the extra weight he carried. Then again, she doubted he'd be able to do this if he was the one pregnant.

Halfway up, she cursed loudly. The elevator was heading down towards them. She blasted the nearest elevator door and quickly climbed out, pulling B'pog in behind her. The elevator passed, showing surprised soldiers. With one salvo, B'pog took care of them, the elevatorcable being blasted to shreds and the elevator falling. El'is did her best not to get too affected by this all. It was necessary, she reminded herself.

She grabbed what was left of the cable and continued climbing up, using another blast to open the elevatordoors of the ground floor. She jumped into the hallway and started to run. They didn't have long at all now. She could hear B'pog follow her still and judging by the damage she could see ahead, J'ven and G'rel had cleared their path. She turned a corner and there they were, each leaning on a side of a hole in the wall, sometimes shooting to keep the humans from getting in.

"Bomb!" B'pog yelled at them and they turned. El'is quickly handsignalled them to move. One after another, they left the compound and headed away from it at a dead run. El'is closed the line, despite J'vens protest. She wanted to be sure they were safe and okay. The humans fired after them, but as they couldn't properly see them, they missed.

Then a loud rumbling noise deafened them. Behind them, the compound exploded. The last thing El'is thought was that perhaps she should have called Vi'can after all. Then the explosion hit her and blasted her forward, making her world go black as it knocked her out.


	5. Chapter 4

(( A/N: I always write these things before I start a chapter

(( A/N: I always write these things before I start a chapter. It's quite fun actually. Most often I find myself writing that I won't end this chapter with a cliffhanger, but then I have to delete that sentence again because I ended up doing it anyway. Sorry about that.

I've been learning more about proper ways of writing things, and I find it amazing how many rooky mistakes I've made. That being said, I don't know if I can change those in this fic, as it's just the way it's written now.

Welcome to my happy little band of reviewers then, Aseroth ;) Glad to have you on board .

LiasonFan2: I'm glad you're making time . I find it peculiar to see the amount of people that watch the story, and the amount of people that review. Most don't even do it once. So I really appreciate the fact that you did :) ))

_Chapter Four._

El'is' eyes slowly slid open. She hastily closed them again, the sudden light hurting her eyes. When she opened them to slids, she looked around slowly. She was no longer outside the compound, but she wasn't quite sure she was inside it either. She was lying on a medical table, she found, several wires connected to her. She heard her own heartbeat in beeps, but also heard two others. Her eyes widened slightly and she put a hand on her stomach. Those had to be her children's.

Much to her dismay, she noticed that she wasn't wearing her armour or helmet anymore. She sat up slowly. The room was empty, but she was sure that behind the large mirror embedded into one of the walls, people would be monitoring her. As she slung her legs over the side of the table, her suspicions were confirmed. The door of the room slid open and several doctors entered, followed by two soldiers that clutched their guns in a way that she was sure they didn't think they would need them.

"You mustn't get up," one of the doctor said. "You're in a fragile state."

El'is had to think a moment before understanding the doctor. Earth's languages hadn't changed much, but she had to adjust to the heavy accent. Then again, she reckoned that if she spoke, they would experience the same thing. She looked at each of them slowly, assessing their skulls and who would pose the biggest threat to her.

"I feel fine," she said calmly, looking back at the doctor who had spoken. "Where is my gear?"

" Well... you see... How did you get that?" the doctor said, jumping subjects. She noticed him becoming nervous quickly. Had she worn her helmet, she was sure she would've seen his heartrate climb.

"That is no one's business but my own," she said in the same calm voice as before. "Where is my gear?"

"They're researching it," the second doctor said, ignoring the warning looks from the other two doctors. El'is hid a smile. It seemed he figured that if they put trust in her, she would do the same. She was going to make use of that before breaking out. "What is your name?"

"Jennifer McDill," El'is said. It felt weird to use her Earthen name again. She had, literally, not used it in ages. "Can I get my gear back?"

The doctor shook his head slowly.

"Am I a prisoner?" she asked then. She saw them hesitate before glancing at one another. She wondered if they knew what kind of life was growing in her stomach. They would never let her go if they knew she was going to birth pure aliens.

"O-of course not," the first doctor said with a fake smile. "We just don't think it's-"

"If I'm not a prisoner, then you are not allowed to keep me from my property. I want my gear back. Now," El'is said. Her face was just as calm as before, but she spoke with an authority in her voice that caused the soldier to stand to attention. She nearly laughed when they blinked and purposefully didn't look in her direction. They thought she had been commanding them.

"Perhaps if you'll enlighten us about your friends first," a new voice said. She looked at the door. A new soldier entered, but she could tell by the stripes on his shoulders he wasn't a soldier. She didn't quite remember which insignia meant what rank, but she reckoned he was probably a general. He spoke with the same authoritative voice that she had used. "Where are they?"

This time El'is couldn't stop a small smile from appearing on her lips. Probably without intending to, he had given her a vital piece of information right there. The Yautja had not been captured, and his once hostage was free. She put on an innocent face, shrugging lightly.

"I don't know, I haven't been around this place for years," she said sweetly.

"Jennifer McDill disappeared roughly six hundred and fifty years ago," the commander said, jumping to a different subject. El'is knew he was trying to confuse her. "Who are you?"

"I told you. You have my DNA. Crosscheck it. You'll find I'm speaking the truth," she said, picking at the wires connected to her before starting to pull them loose. The doctors started to protest, but they fell silent at a wave of the commanders hand. Judging by the look on his face, he already knew she was who she said she was.

"If that is so, how did you manage to become this old? It's impossible for a human to get to that age," the commander said.

El'is kept quiet. He had a point there. If she said she was an alien, they might well just cut her open and see what made her tick.

"Give me my gear and I'll tell you," she said, looking straight at the commander. He regarded her quietly for a few long seconds before nodding, signalling on of the soldiers to get it.

"Where are your friends?" he asked as the soldier left.

"I have no idea," El'is said honestly. "I was knocked out, remember?"

She watched as the commander seemed to grit his teeth. She reckoned he had been ordered not to harm her. Whether that was because of the intel she could give them or the fact that she was pregnant with aliens, she didn't know. She looked at the commander patiently as he composed himself. He remained silent though, until the soldier came in with her gear. He waited for a signal before going to El'is with it.

El'is slid off the table and started putting her armour back on. She felt the commanders eyes on her as he took note of what went where and how it was connected. El'is nearly grinned. It wouldn't give him any advantage. The armour of Yautja was mounted differently. She kept her helmet off, taking care not to test her weapons. He probably didn't know what parts of her armour were weapons and what not. She raised an eyebrow at the soldiers, seeing them having their guns aimed at her.

"Just a precaution," the commander said casually. "Now.. you were going to tell me how you've managed to live this long."

"Simple. My DNA has been enhanced," El'is said, heaving herself back onto the table. She wanted to let her body get what kind of rest it could before she broke out of her. She felt the twins kicking her and nearly grunted. She stopped herself though. She couldn't afford to show any weakness. The fact that the babies seemed so active worried her though. How long had she been out?

The commander observed her quietly. She thought he was getting orders through the single earphone he was wearing. Humans never did get far on the wireless-things. They didn't know a way to make that work properly without endangering themselves.

"Where am I?" she asked, fingering her armour and activating her beacon as she did. They couldn't see it. Yautja were smarter than to use little lights for everything activated. She would see it in her helmet if she wore it, she knew. It would give her companions a chance to try and bust her out of there. She didn't know for sure how far she could go. She didn't want to risk her future children.

"In a safe facility," the commander said calmly. "Now.. Tell me something about your friends."

"Well... They are... not here," El'is said, trying to hide her amusement. She knew she was their only link to the Yautja, and she knew they couldn't kill her until she had told them what they wanted to know. They might resort to torture, but that would impress her as little as anything else. Then it slowly dawned on her. With the rate these babies were growing, they might actually get born before she was free again. And that meant they could use the children against her. She did not want any hurt to befall them. But she knew what would be the right thing to do. If that meant having to try to get children again, so be it. She would not betray her race.

Something in her face must've hardened, as she noticed the commander was looking differently now too. More on alert. The soldiers were clasping their guns tighter. But the commander wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the ceiling. Then she heard it too. Sounds of battle. Gunfire, shouts, and the characteristic sound of the Yautja shoulderguns being fired. They must've been waiting nearby to arrive this soon.

"What did you do?" the commander asked, stepping forward and heading for her threateningly. He looked angry, but she reckoned he was more angry at himself for giving her her gear. Just because they couldn't detect any beacons or weapons on it, didn't meant there weren't any. When he was close enough, El'is activated her shouldergun. It unfolded from her back, being completely hidden in the armour that was there.

The soldiers shouted, but they couldn't fire with their commander in the way. A bright blue burst of energy erupted from the gun, catching the commander in his chest and blowing him backwards, blood and bits of human flying everywhere.

Hastily, El'is put on her helmet, diving behind the table to avoid the bullets the soldiers were now shooting at her. She regretted not being as strong as a regular Yautja. She would just burst through the ceiling then. She reached under her chestarmour, roughly pulling the bug out and squished it in her gloved hands. They would not be able to track her anymore.

When she tried to activate her camouflage, she realised why she had been captured. It was malfunctioning. That means she was visible when they found her. She cursed under her breath, then peeked above the table just long enough to fire a shot, bullets whistling by her head. This was too close for comfort.

A sudden growl made her freeze. She heard the humans shout in pain and horror before a few slicing noises followed and they got quiet. El'is' eyes were big inside her helmet. She'd recognise that growl anywhere. She slowly rose from her position behind the table and looked to see if what she thought was right.

The next moment, she was all but hauled across the table before being clutched tightly. Strong arms enveloped her, one across her shoulders, the other around her waist. She wrapped her arms around the muscular back, holding him just as tight in return. He was the last person she expected to see here.

"You're not going anywhere alone ever again," Vi'can whispered in her ear, clutching her even tighter.


	6. Chapter 5

((A/N: First of all, I want to apologise for the cliffhangers and the events in the next few chapters

((A/N: First of all, I want to apologise for the cliffhangers and the events in the next few chapters. You people will most likely hate me for them. For the events I mean.. You'll forget about the cliffhangers once you're aware of the events I reckon. XD And now that I've made you very curious, here's another chapter for you. ))

_Chapter Five._

The embrace seemed to last for hours, but Vi'can broke away after several long seconds. He didn't let go of her yet though, looking her up and down before placing one hand on her belly and stroking it softly.

"They look healthy," he said softly, looking back up at her face before at her belly again. She had no doubt he was using his heatvisor to properly view their children. He stroked her back gently, leaning her helmet against hers.

"Save that stuff for later, lovebirds," a cheery voice came from the doorway. El'is grinned as she turned her head, seeing M'rid tap his foot as if waiting forever. "She's not going to get any safe if you stand around like that with her all day."

Vi'can grumbled something under his breath, then too her hand and pulled her along towards M'rid and into the hallways. Bodies were lying around pretty much everywhere, showing what the duo had had to work through to get to her. Smears of blood decorated the walls.

"Did you two have fun?" she asked dryly, getting a chuckle from M'rid and a squeeze of her hand by Vi'can.

"You don't want to know. Vi'can's been a bit impatient ever since we got off the ship. It got even worse when we found G'rel, B'pog and J'ven," he said. "It took four of us to keep him from breaking in right away. F'gath managed to convince him that anything but a planned attack would most likely get you killed."

"F'gath's here too?" El'is asked, smiling behind her helmet. Though part of her was annoyed that she needed saving at all, she was very glad to have them there anyway. Not only because she loved them, but also because deep down she knew she could use the support.

"What? Did you think he'd stay there with you in an accelerated pregnancy?" Vi'can asked, a bit too sharply. El'is cringed at the tone of his voice. She knew they had to lot to talk about when they had more time. The fact that he kept hold of her hand assured her they could work through it all though. He wouldn't do that if he was truly mad at her. But then again, his anger was mostly just because he was worried about her.

People shouting up ahead snapped her out of her thoughts. She felt Vi'cans hand tighten on hers as he cloaked. He gave her hand a light tug, wanting her to cloak too.

"It's broken," she whispered softly, hearing a frustrated growl from her husband. He let go of her hand then and ran forwards. M'rid instantly followed him. They were easy to track for her because of the heatvisor. A kick of the twins made her wince and hold still for a moment, her hands on her belly. It wouldn't be very long before they wanted to come out.

She heard Vi'can and M'rid growl, which was followed by screams. Then everything went quiet. M'rids head peeked around the corner and he beckoned her with his hand, knowing she could see it. She smiled and quickly followed them. They followed that pattern as they continued onward. As they went on, El'is realised they had been in a facility much like the one they made explode. Instead of going down, they were going up. She didn't ask about it though. The men went ahead, clearing the path for her. She didn't mind too much, she felt tired and hungry.

Once they reached the groundfloor, El'is couldn't see a single human left alive. Some missed skulls and backbones, apparently having put up a good enough fight to deserve to be a trophy. Vi'can dropped back to walk next to her, making himself visible again as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"We'll take you right to the shuttle. All we need to do now is blow up this place. Then all traces will be gone. Everyone's rescued etcetera...," he said. "But we're going to have to talk once we're on board."

El'is nodded, feeling a lump of ice form in her stomach. Vi'can grunted next to her, squeezing her shoulder lightly. She reckoned he had seen her heartrate jump up at his words.

"Don't worry. I still love you, and I want these babies. But that doesn't make what you did right," he said, sounding more serious than he had in a long time. He tugged at her hand, making her walk again. They soon left the compound. As she looked around, El'is noticed several Yautja moving about. They planted several light charges across the compound, to destroy all evidence.

El'is looked at the sky. Humans followed everything on the surface with their satellites. She hoped they had not forgotten about those. She was about to ask when M'rid spoke up next to her.

"We took those out on our way in," he said, a chuckle in his voice. For a moment, El'is was convinced that she had spend just a few missions too many with these two, but she wouldn't exchange it for the world. In a society filled where fighting was an art and a skill that everyone had to have, it was important to be able to count on your friends.

Up ahead, El'is could make out the landing site. The plants had been lightly damaged in the clearing, and she could see something heavy was standing on the ground, even though it was cloaked. In front of it, she could clearly see the silhouette of F'gath. He had his arms crossed and was leaning against the shuttle, but he followed their every move with his eyes, she was sure. She smiled behind her helmet, then swallowed. He was probably mad as hell at her as well.

She didn't slow down though. Just before they reached it, F'gath turned and went inside the shuttle. The three of them followed. El'is felt nervous, but there was more going on than that. The babies seemed extra active. She put a hand on her belly as they walked, wincing slightly as they kicked. Then there was pain. She gasped, stopping and gripping her stomach with both hands.

"El'is?" she heard Vi'can ask worriedly. He slid his arm around her back, supporting her. He scanned her body worriedly. The pups seemed very much alive, he could see them kick. Fluids were pouring from between her legs. Then it hit him. The contractions had started. He blinked, feeling a shiver run up his spine. "F'gath! It's.. It's time!"

M'rid couldn't keep himself grinning slightly. The soon to be father had no idea how to handle this situation. F'gath soon joined them, looking just as shocked as Vi'can. Neither ever had any children. He slid his arms under El'is arms and knees, lifting her up.

"Medical room," he told the two men. That made them move again. While F'gath ran ahead to prepare. Vi'can walked alongside M'rid, stroking El'is head softly. The woman herself was breathing fast. He didn't know if she was still in a contraction or not. "We have to get her armour off. See if you can find a nightgown amongst the stuff you brought along for her."

Vi'can nodded, but he didn't leave until M'rid asked him again. Being father of many, M'rid knew how to birth children. Only, these weren't coming out of a Yautja. The entire pregnancy had been far from normal, for both human and Yautja standards. He carried her inside the medical room, where F'gath had already readied a table and had raised the back of it, to give her a somewhat comfortable position to lie in.

--

About two hours later, El'is was fairly much screaming in pain. Her armour off, she was now wearing a nightgown to keep her upper body covered, while the teams medic was trying to make the best of the situation, with the help of M'rid. Though Yautja birthed via the same exit, they didn't have to work through a lot of contractions. It never took long for the pup to actually come out.

Vi'can was holding one of her hands, making soothing noises and stroking her head. F'gath was holding her other hand, looking just as worried as the future father. Judging by their faces, El'is was squeezing their hands just a little bit too hard more often than not.

"The head is almost out! Just a bit longer!" the medic said, not realising that the woman he was talking to had her eyes closed, and didn't understand a word he was saying. El'is had seen enough tv when she was little to know what she was supposed to do though. She huffed in even breaths and pushed when she was hit by a contraction. Her hair was sticking to her forehead and she felt very tired.

She let out a yell as she pushed again, squeezing Vi'can's and F'gath's hands so tightly she actually heard them grunt. Then the noise was filled with a new sound. It sounded like a mini Yautja roar. Though small, the sound was intense. She opened her eyes, instantly seeing the doctor cradling and lifting what seemed to be a small version of Vi'can into his arms. Her eyes widened in wonder as she watched the doctor cut the naval cord before handing it to Vi'can.

Vi'can let go of her hand then, taking the wailing bundle from the medic. El'is looked at both of them, smiling softly, before the medic clicked and growled at her again. She blinked, before realising there was another pup to come still.

--

Deep into the night, El'is was still looking at the two bundles in her arms. Vi'can was sitting next to her, his arms around her and the pups, his chin resting on her shoulder. She could feel one of his mandibles stroke her cheek ever so gently. Now that it was all over and done with, she was wearing her glasses again. She rubbed her cheek against his mandible now, before turning her head and smiling at her mate.

"They're gorgeous," he whispered softly, looking at her lovingly before looking at his pups again. They looked just like Yautja pups, only a tad smaller. Their skin was greyer than that of Yautja though. He reckoned they'd need a full DNA scan to see how much of them was actually Yautja. The human factor had mostly been ruled out, but there was another something to El'is DNA that could've passed onto them. "What do you want to call them?"

El'is looked from pup to pup. In the few weeks she had carried them, she had never even begun to think of names for them. It wasn't hard to think up proper variations for them though. It was Yautja tradition that women gave the children names. Men were lucky if they were allowed to by their wives.

"Ci'van," she said, nodding her head to the pup on the right. "And Co'vek."

Vi'can smiled, cuddling her a bit tighter. Most of the time, it was only after ten pups that they were named after someone, but there was no doubt who Ci'van had been named after. He got up from the bed, gently taking the pups from her and putting them in their own cribs before returning to her side. He slid his arm around her back after lying down, pulling her down with him.

"We're leaving tomorrow," he said. "By then everything will be in order, and our traces will be covered."

"Good," El'is said softly. "I'm longing for home after these weeks."


	7. Chapter 6

((A/N: well, I was already glad that chapter five didn't hold the dreaded moment

((A/N: well, I was already glad that chapter five didn't hold the dreaded moment.. But I couldn't postpone it any longer, so this one does. Sorry! I really am! But it had to happen… I even cried while writing it out…

Also: Aspergian: Myspace isn't at all like MSN.. MSN is a chatprogram. Myspace is a profilepage.))

_Chapter Six._

At the crack of dawn, the Yautja shuttle was bustling with activity. They had hunted for fresh meat and filled the tanks with water, so they would have plenty of resources for the long journey home. The bombs were set to explode the moment they were at a safe distance.

F'gath was on the bridge, holding his two grandchildren. Though they weren't his by blood, he knew that the pups would see him as their grandfather as they grew up, just like El'is saw him as her father. The pups were healthy and active, already trying to touch everything. He blamed that on their possible xenomorph contamination, as he reckoned human babies wouldn't be doing that either when they were just hours old.

He didn't mind though. He had seen the positive effects the genes had on El'is. If anything, they would just work in the pups favour. He knew he was just being used as a babysitter at the moment, but even with the pups as small as this, he could understand why N'ter had given up his position in the council to spend time with his grandchildren.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" a voice said next to him. M'rid reached out and gently stroked one of the pups forehead.

"Yes there are. They're going to be great warriors, just like their parents," F'gath said, smiling down at the pups. M'rid chuckled lightly. Aside from most likely being right, F'gath had said the exact same thing that N'ter had when he first laid eyes on his grandchildren.

--

Vi'can holding her at her elbow to support her, El'is was walking outside of the shuttle. They were moving slowly, the Earthen woman still weakened from the birthing. Though at first she had tried to persuade her mate to let her walk around without armour, he in turn had convinced her to wear it. It felt heavy and it made walking more difficult, but she could understand why it might be needed.

"As your mate, I'm supposed to be able to trust you completely," Vi'can finally said. He had been quiet for several minutes, trying to think of the right words to make her understand why he was upset with her. The shuttle was just out of their sight, giving them enough privacy to converse properly.

"I know," El'is said softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to worry any more than you already did. I didn't know they would grow so quickly…"

Vi'can sighed. "That's not the point. Whatever reasons you have, they shouldn't have been reason enough to lie to me."

El'is looked down at the ground. To humans, lying was a simple thing to do. To Yautja however, lying was as bad as an unhonourable kill. She understood that now. Before, she had hardly ever had a cause to lie to her mate. She felt tears in her eyes behind her optics. She had never intended to hurt her mate. How was she supposed to fix the damage she had caused?

"I'm sorry," she said again, softer now, before looking up at him. "I'll never do it again. I promise."

He looked at her for a long moment. She regretted not being able to see his face and that he couldn't see hers. Then again, she hoped that he could tell she regretted her actions very much. She felt herself being flooded with relief when he slowly nodded. Despite herself, she threw her arms around him, holding him tight. She heard him chuckle lightly before he hugged her back.

"Did you really think I would let you go, little one?" he whispered softly. She relaxed in his arms. A promise had been enough then. He held her tighter for a moment before letting her go mostly until he held her at an arms length. "Even if you lie to me, you're still my mate, and the mother of my children. I love-"

A shot rang through the air. Everything seemed to slow down, milliseconds seemingly taking ages. A bullet grazed passed Vi'cans helmet. El'is body seemed to bounce away from him, her head snapping back. Before his eyes, the top of her helmet exploded into pieces. Blood splattered onto his helmet. Her body went limp in his arms.

He made a small whimpering noise before roaring. He pulled her against him, cradling her in his arms around running for the shuttle. He ran straight into it, not even noticing the hatch closing behind him and the shields activating. He moved towards the medical room, blind to anything else. People called out to him, but he didn't listen. Upon entering the room of his destination, he placed her on the table, the medic not even having time to turn around fully before he did it.

"Fix her," he said, as he all but tore off his helmet. He picked up her hand, squeezing it tightly. The medic looking at El'is, leaning closed to view her better. He frowned, but didn't say anything as he released the safetyclips of her helmet and took it off. Upon seeing the sight beneath it, he sucked in a sharp breath. He looked back at Vi'can.

"Fix her," Vi'can repeated, his voice sounding hoarse. "FIX HER!"

He heard a gasp before a strangled sound came out behind him. With two steps, F'gath was standing at the table, his fingers lightly tracing the wound on her head. The shot had blown a good portion of her helmet away, before doing an even bigger amount of damage to her head and brain. Her eyes were still open, widened in shock. He gently brushed his hand over them, closing them.

"Fix her…" Vi'can brought out, slowly sinking to his knees. He stared at the hand that was being held by his. She wasn't moving. She had to move, had to breathe. He felt a chill run up his spine. He tilted his head backwards and let out a roar. It was a raw sound, filled with pure emotion. He barely felt F'gaths hand on his shoulder, nor was he aware of the tears that were running down the council members face, or of his own.

He only stopped roaring when he found he couldn't make the noise anymore. It wasn't until then that he noticed they had left him alone with her. With difficulty, he forced himself to stand up. He slipped his arm under her back, pulling her body off the table before holding her tight against him. He felt himself weep softly, rocking her body back and forth. She could not be gone. Soon he would wake up and it would all have been a dream. She had to be there. But even as he tried to convince himself of that, deep down he knew what had happened.

--

F'gath sat quietly in Vi'cans room. He hadn't said a word since he had heard what had happened. He didn't want to believe, but seeing her lying like that… He couldn't deny the truth. It didn't stop him from crying for her though. She deserved that. The impact she had had on his life. The amount she meant to him. He closed his eyes.

It had been centuries ago when he had first laid eyes on her. She had been a little smaller than the two pups that were now lying in their cribs, sleeping peacefully. He didn't think they knew what had happened. She had looked at him back then, with those blue eyes of hers. He knew then and there that he had to take care of her.

He had seen her grow up, even if with jumps of a year. She had become a good fighter already then, until she became a warrior in the Yautja ranks. He had never been more proud when she survived the trials, killing a predalien in the process. She had hunted with him after that, refining her huntingskills and accepting the alien genes that she had. She had used them against him when sparring and had learned to take pride in them.

She had mated Vi'can officially. He didn't think he had ever seen her happier than on that day. At first he had been jealous of the fact that she spend her time with someone else and gave her love to someone else. But on that day, when he saw how much she loved Vi'can, he had finally been able to accept it. She would never love him in that fashion. As the years passed, he had slipped into a fatherly role towards her, giving her advice when she needed it, taking care of her and protecting her much like Vi'can did.

But now… He whipped his cheeks, not wanting his son in law to see he was near as much a wreck as he knew Vi'can would be. Sooner or later, the warrior would come see his children. Until then, F'gath would babysit. He didn't quite know what everyone else was upto. The shuttle had lifted off moments after Vi'can had entered. They had heard the shot. He had ordered that the bombs were detonated before heading to the medical room.

After that, he didn't know what had happened. He figured that M'rid had assumed command. He could tell by the slight vibrations of the shuttle that they were flying, most likely through space. It would've been bumpier if they were still moving through an atmosphere. That meant that with a bit of luck, the pups would be sleeping for a while.

F'gath clenched his hands to fists. He hadn't expected himself to think of such practical things at a time like this, but then he realised that until Vi'can had recovered a little, he couldn't allow himself to collapse or let his emotions run free. Tears were all he could give her right now. It would have to do.

--

M'rid sat in the command chair of the bridge. He had his mandibles clenched shut, only speaking when he had to. With Vi'can unable to command and F'gath needing time as well, he was the only one of sufficient rank to command them all. He tried not to think about what had happened. He hadn't seen her yet, but the roar Vi'can had emitted had told him enough. She would not be there any longer.

It felt strange to realise she would no longer be forming one front with his own mate, to get him to do something. She would no longer teach his pups how to Thai-box. Someone else would have to take over those lessons. But who would be worthy enough? He blinked, blocking the train of thought.

J'ven stood next to him. M'rid could see how his pup was keeping himself quiet just like him. Come to think of it, not many of the crewmembers spoke at all, only asking or relaying necessary orders. Whether it was out of respect or out of grief, M'rid didn't know, but he appreciated either. He didn't think he was up to having a conversation with someone right now.

"Dad?" J'ven asked in a hushed voice, wanting his fathers attention. When M'rid looked at him, he continued. "Someone should check on Vi'can before he does something he or all of us will regret…"

M'rid slowly nodded. It wouldn't be the first time a Yautja committed suicide after his mate had died. And Vi'can had children to care for. He had responsibilities he could not just let go.

"Can you..?" he asked J'ven.

"I'll take care of the bridge," J'ven promised. M'rid looked around the room, getting confirming nods from everyone to show they would listen to his sons commands. With a sigh, M'rid got up. He placed a hand on his sons shoulder a moment before leaving the command centre, heading for the medical room. He didn't know what he was fearing more; having to deal with the finality of her death, or with seeing her body.


	8. Epilogue

((A/N: I'm so sorry

((A/N: I'm so sorry! But for events that I want to happen in the future, it had to happen. I hope you people can forgive me. As for the remarks about bringing her back to life, I have to admit I found those a bit amusing. I did describe her being headshotted after all XD ))

Epilogue.

Vi'can had his eyes closed. To the outside world, he could be meditating, or even sleeping. He was lightly shaking though, and the tears dripping onto the floor showed that he was just trying to hide his grief.

In front of him stood a big stone tomb, decorated with many symbols and statues. Together, they formed a sort of report on the life of the warrior that lied inside. He didn't want to open his eyes and see it again. It made things too final for him. He did not want to accept the fact that she wouldn't be there anymore.

It had been three days since they had returned home. Ten days since that dreadful day. F'gath had had to tear him away from her body; he would not let it go. He had spend most of the week in their room, alone. F'gath had taken the pups and had been caring for them together with M'rid.

He knew he had to become a father soon. He just couldn't imagine that without having their mother with him. They had been hoping and wanting pups for such a long time. And now that they finally had them, she had been ripped away from him. He finally opened his eyes and looked at her tomb. In his hands, he was holding a small object. It had once fitted around her neck. She had worn it everywhere. Now it was his again.

"Why did you leave?" he asked in a whisper, forcing himself to get up. He stroked the cool stone of the tomb. F'gath had ordered it made from the best stone available, one that not many warriors could afford for their loved ones. It was a symbol of her rank and status in Yautja society. It stood in the heart of their home. Despite them not being blood-related, F'gath had silenced Vi'can immediately when he spoke about leaving.

The much older Yautja had pressed that there were more ways to be related than through blood. The bond between F'gath and El'is had proven that already. He had jokingly added that now that he had grandchildren, he wasn't about to let them move away. Vi'can knew F'gath missed El'is just as much as he did, though in his own way. He raised his head, looking at the door. He didn't think he was ready to leave yet. To accept the fact that she was gone. But he knew he had to.

He was a father, after all.

((A/N: well... that concludes A Predators Spirit... I was thinking about putting what I had in mind in this sequel already, but I don't think that'd be right, because the point of focuss is going to shift. So, I'll see you all in A Predators Soul, the upcoming sequel. I have a few stories and plots in mind that I think you people are going to love. After all... El'is might be gone, but her blood still lives on in the twins. ))


	9. Authors Note

A/N: I'm sorry I saddened people with the ending of APSpirit, but it wasn't really supposed to be happy

A/N: I'm sorry I saddened people with the ending of APSpirit, but it wasn't really supposed to be happy.

Aspergian Mind: It's fine to think my story is too brief and too short. I already explained at the end of the epilogue that I know I could've extended it, but that I think it was not fair to do so, because of the shift in focus that's going to happen. In the rest of your review, you seem to be forgetting one thing: this is –my- story. Not yours.

I know all the plots that I could've gone with, but guess what, I didn't. I'm not a big fan of post-apocalypse stories, certainly if the story isn't about Earth to start with. As for Minority Report, I have a thing against Tom Cruise, so I don't like the movie. Either way though, I know all the things I could've done. But I decided to go with this plot. It's fine to be disappointed or not liking it and giving criticism on the story itself, but do not criticise my decisions for the plot. If you're so certain things should've been written differently, create your own story that follows your plot-lines and leave my story my own.

Right. Now that that's said; APSoul will have to wait a bit. A few things have stirred up my life at the moment, and that along with a few messages I've had through reviews, have made me lose my inspiration for the story. I'll try to continue when I can, but I can't make any promises on when that will be.


End file.
